Where in the sky to look for the 'supermoon' total lunar eclipse

Lunar Eclipse October 8, 2014 as seen from Melbourne, Australia. Sri Ramarathinam

Sunday's "supermoon" total lunar eclipse may be a bit harder to find than you might think.

Stretch out your hand and look at a fingernail; that's about how small the moon will be. A tree, building, or even a telephone pole on your street could easily block your view of the "very rare" astronomical event.

Luckily, there's Solar System Scope — a free app for Android and iPhone that uses your phone's compass to help you quickly find where the first "super blood moon" in 30 years will be in the night sky.

Before following our steps below, glance at this map to see if the event will be visible for you. If so, the total lunar eclipse to start at 10:11 p.m. EDT, peak around 10:47 p.m. EDT, and go until 11:23 p.m. EDT. (Use TimeAndDate.com to find the exact time for your region.)

Don't fret if you live outside a visible zone, it's too cloudy, or you're stuck inside: There are two different live broadcast options at the end of this article, and each begins coverage at 8 p.m. EDT.

Keep scrolling to learn how to find out exactly where in your neighborhood's night sky the blood-red total lunar eclipse will hang.

Are you taking photos of the 'super' blood moon?

Jennifer Lee

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